


Renewal

by camshaft22, thedarlingone (Curuchamion)



Category: Star Wars Legends: X-Wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole
Genre: Developing Relationship, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 12:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camshaft22/pseuds/camshaft22, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curuchamion/pseuds/thedarlingone
Summary: Hobbie liked Wes. A lot. If they could have something more than what they'd had a year ago, before Hobbie left on this undercover mission... well, he wanted to try.





	Renewal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lajulie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lajulie/gifts).

Hobbie stood at the counter of their little general store, reading a datapad to pass the time. The street was quiet and even the sale signs in the windows were being ignored. But then again, 99% of everything was completely gone. Wedge had left weeks ago, summoned back to the Rebellion. Now it was just Hobbie, and he'd handed off Booster's very last shipment of weaponry two planetary days ago to the contact from some Rebel cell or other. 

Sometime in the next few days, supposedly, Hobbie would find out when and where he was scheduled to leave this backwater planet. He had taken to sleeping in the store, which luckily had a shower in the back. His apartment was turned over, his presence would be soon forgotten. If only the Rebellion would come get him. 

The door chime sounded and Hobbie looked up. His customer was short, broad-shouldered, with curly black hair and dancing dark eyes. The man offered him a slight wave and a wide, mischievous grin.

Hobbie waved back, shocked to see him but not showing it. "Hello Sir. Can I help you?" he asked. "My name is Zdeno. As you can see, we're closing up shop but I'd be happy to at least try." Wes was here to get him? He hadn't expected that at all. When they'd parted ways nearly a year ago, with a friendly hug rather than a lovers' kiss, they'd known it was surpassingly unlikely they'd ever see each other again.

Wes looked good. Very good. It had been too long. Hobbie wondered if… well, if anything had changed since he'd been away. He remembered clearly enough the first night they'd spent together on Yavin IV, Wes's bluntly cheerful proposition: "I don't do exclusive, but I think we could have a lot of fun together." 

He couldn’t believe it. Wes was here. Would he want to rekindle what they'd shared or had he found others to be more fulfilling? At least they could probably be friends again. But Hobbie had to stick to his cover. Even Wes being here wasn’t worth blowing almost a year of work.

Wes came up to the counter. "Marek Hossa. I'm an independent trader," he said, offering his hand to shake. "I've been hired to transport Master Zdeno Gar outsystem, destination coordinates to be provided. That you?"

"That's definitely me," Hobbie told him, shaking his hand. It was good that Wes was keeping his cover as well. "I was told that you'd be coming but I didn't have a date. Give me a few and I'll be ready to go. Thanks for picking me up," he said while he went to the door and sealed it, shutting off the signs and darkening the front half. Hobbie was really glad it was Wes who was here to retrieve him, but he wondered where they stood.

"No problem," Wes said cheerily. He tagged after Hobbie into the back of the shop and leaned against the doorframe while Hobbie packed up his few remaining items of clothing and toiletries.

"What is your normal trade, Mr. Hossa?" Hobbie asked, picking up his bags and nodding. "I'm ready if you are."

"Freight mostly," Wes said, turning to let Hobbie lead the way out of the shop. "A few passengers like yourself. I get a lot of farm cargoes. Smelly work, but steady." He smirked a little. "You've gotten lucky, I'm running empty on this trip. No twelve-year-aged dairy products, no manure, no freshly tanned hides."

Hobbie nodded. "Very lucky," he replied. They left out the back, heading towards the spaceport. "Do you have a partner or are you on your own?" He was a little curious whether Wes was here alone, but more curious how Wes felt about seeing him again.

Wes gave him a keen look, seeming to understand the meaning behind the question. "Well, I had one," he said thoughtfully. "Haven't seen him for a while. Shared business venture, different locations." One of his fleeting dimples flickered high under his cheekbone for a second as the corner of his mouth quirked. "Starting to wonder if he's sold out of the business altogether. A man could find some nice companionship on one of these backwater planets."

Hobbie grinned back briefly. "It seems we are in a similar situation. I had to leave someone behind and work with a friend to establish his business. Now I'm headed home. Perhaps your partner is more like myself and just waiting to return."

Wes gave Hobbie a hungry look, barely veiled by the mask of professionalism he wore. "That would be nice," he said lightly.

"Indeed," Hobbie agreed, his heart skipping a beat. Wes still wanted him. He'd hoped he might get lucky, that Wes wouldn't have tired of him or found someone better. They had something special, the two of them. More than just sex, he thought. Hoped. But was that just him reaching for something that he couldn’t have? He had affection toward Wes but that wasn’t… Hobbie couldn’t push. On his homeworld, he wouldn’t even be allowed to be friends with him. He'd be Wes's servant, if that. But he wanted. He wanted a connection with him. Maybe there was a chance?

Wes led the way to a smallish freighter. It was beaten to hell and back. "Is… this your ship?" Hobbie asked politely. 

Oh, he knew that grin. Wes was mimicking Han Solo's proud expression whenever he introduced anyone to the Millennium Falcon. "Isn't she a beauty?" Wes asked, his face almost completely sincere.

Hobbie pursed his lips to keep from breaking his cover. "That's certainly a way to describe it." 

"Her," Wes corrected solemnly. "A ship is always female. Anyway, yes, this is the Funnyman. Shall we board?"

"Oh. Yes. Of course," Hobbie agreed. He gave Wes a long look and nodded. "I'd like to be on our way as soon as possible, please."

Wes seemed to light up inside. He triggered the loading ramp and trotted up it almost before it was fully lowered, waving Hobbie to follow him.

Hobbie followed him and reached out towards him once the door sealed, offering a hug. Wes hugged him tight and fierce, just as rib-crackingly snug and warm as Hobbie had remembered. Then he pulled back reluctantly. "We should get offplanet," he said.

"Definitely," Hobbie agreed. "I'll put my stuff down and we'll talk."

Wes nodded and hurried off toward the cockpit. By the time Hobbie joined him there, having stowed his kit by one of the freighter's bunks and made himself a bit more at home, they were well offplanet and Wes was programming the final coordinates for their jump to hyperspace.

"Hey, Hobbie," Wes said as Hobbie slid into the copilot's seat. "So, uh. All that about a partner. You meant what I thought you meant, right?"

"It's you," Hobbie told him. Everything felt very fragile. He didn't know where he stood yet. But now was the time to ask. Wes seemed to be open to them getting close again. "I wasn't sure if you maybe had enough partners.” He didn't need Wes all to himself; they were good together, more than good, but having all of those vibrant passions directed at him could get exhausting. But he… he'd like to be part of Wes's life.

Wes shook his head. "No, I still have room for you," he said, warm affection filling his voice. "Kriff, Hobbie, I missed you so much. I thought you'd find somebody else and just…" He shrugged awkwardly. "Like I said. Maybe even settle down. Or just find somebody you liked better."

Hobbie reached a hand over, offering it towards Wes. "Not really.” He didn’t have much interest in the beings on that planet. Too remote and he was undercover. No time to start something.

Wes squeezed Hobbie's hand. "Well, I'm… I'm glad. You still have all the limbs you went away with, or you manage to lose any more parts along the way?"

Hobbie laughed. "Still the same configuration. But time will tell." 

"So," Wes said earnestly. "I was thinking. We still… like each other, which is amazing. And you're still okay with the thing where we agreed I can take anybody to bed as long as you don't have to know about it?"

"Yup. Unless it was that good," Hobbie agreed. 

Wes laughed. "Yeah, nobody quite that good yet. Although I do know this guy who does this one thing with his mouth…" He winked at Hobbie and squeezed his hand again, then let go, needing both hands to take them into hyperspace.

“Oh that guy,” Hobbie deadpanned, smirking and settled in. “I’m glad it was you who came after me.” He and Wedge had had a lot of time to talk while running their fake store and delivering Booster's shipments of weaponry to various rebel cells. Wedge seemed to know exactly what he wanted and Hobbie… He didn’t know. Before joining the Rebellion, he'd never considered a relationship. Ralltiir's formal strictures around family and connections forbade him from anything more than casual sex, and the Imperial Academy didn't exactly encourage long-lasting partnerships either.

But Wes… Hobbie liked Wes. A lot. If they could have something, something more than what they'd had a year ago -- which had often amounted to Wes simply checking in, "hey, you want to fuck tonight?", before leaving to find other companionship if Hobbie wasn't interested -- well, he wanted to try. Try for what? He didn't know. Maybe he'd figure it out along the way.

"I asked to," Wes said. "I wanted to see you again. And Wedge and Leia said yes." Once they were properly into hyperspace, he twisted around in his seat, his face about as serious as it ever got. "So what I was trying to say, before I got distracted, is… well. I'm really glad we still like each other. But it has been a year. So, as much as I want you to drag me back to my bunk and have your way with me right now--" He swallowed and looked away, licking his lips. Hobbie stared unashamedly at the tip of that clever little pink tongue. "Uh. What I mean is. It might be… good if we took some time. Get to know each other again. Before we just… fall into bed. If you-- if that would be okay." He gulped. "I want… I realized while you were away that… that you're, uh, you're pretty important to me, Hobbs. I want this to be good. For both of us. For as…" He looked back and met Hobbie's eyes. "For as long as we can have together."

Hobbie nodded. “I’m glad you feel that way. You’re very important to me as well and it’s been almost a year,” he said. Wes not only looked older, growing into his body, he had also matured emotionally. “We’ve grown since then. Our… odds aren’t good for surviving but we should learn who we are together while we’re around to do it.” 

Wes flushed, his dark eyes shining with love. "Can I kiss you, or will you be seized by an uncontrollable urge to ravish me?" he asked lightly.

“I’ll contain myself,” Hobbie said dryly, leaning over the console so they could kiss.

***

Wes lay sprawled on the roof of the freighter, shirtless, one arm flung over his eyes. They'd had to stop for refueling on a sunny planet a few hours from their starting point, and as long as he had nothing else to do, he figured he might as well soak up the warmth. From what he heard about their final destination at the Rebellion's newest base, he'd be glad he had.

There was a scraping noise by the side of the ship. Wes turned his head and squinted from under his forearm, looking to see what it was. Hobbie’s head popped up over the edge. Then he pulled himself up, standing to his full height, and walked over. 

Hobbie stopped right by him and looked down. “Are you enjoying yourself?” 

Wes chuckled. "Always," he said, grinning up at Hobbie. "Enjoying the view?" He tucked his hands behind his head and flexed his biceps just because he could.

“Definitely,” Hobbie said as he sat down. “So because one of the pumps is down and there’s this big hold up, every being in the place went to the food stall down there. They’ve run out of nearly everything and I got the last of their turbofizz. We’ll have to share."

"What a tragedy," Wes said cheerfully. He certainly didn't need an excuse to stare at Hobbie's lips around a bottle neck, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

Hobbie rolled his eyes fondly. "But I did at least get us the last of the nerf burgers. I think the poor server is going to cry or quit by the time this is over.” 

"Aw," Wes said. "I hope you tipped them well?"

“Of course,” Hobbie said. “I’m not an animal." He opened the bottle and sipped from it before passing it to Wes. He then pulled out a burger, putting it on Wes’s chest. “Sit up so we can eat.” 

Wes picked up the burger, then sat up and took a sip of turbofizz before setting the bottle down next to him. "I'm up. Happy now?" he asked, smirking.

“This is pretty nice,” Hobbie said, eating and pointedly ignoring him. “A nice break between hostilities,” he continued quietly. 

Wes scooted a little closer to Hobbie so he could nestle his shoulder against Hobbie's arm while they ate. "It's good to have a bit of a rest," he agreed. He knew what Hobbie meant. Either or both of them could easily die in their next battle, any time after they got back to the Rebellion. For now… for now, it was nice to just breathe.

“Maybe we’ll get there and everyone will have quit. Both sides,” Hobbie told him between bites.

Wes snorted. "We can always hope," he said. He tilted his head thoughtfully. "What would you do if they did? Like, afterwards."

“Go anywhere but Ralltiir,” Hobbie told him point blank. “Yourself?”

"I haven't really thought about it," Wes admitted. "I always thought I'd stay on Taanab and be a farmer, you know? But here I am." He sighed softly. "I don't really think I could go back. So I don't know what I'd do next." He rested his head on Hobbie's shoulder for a moment between bites.

Hobbie tipped his head to the side, putting it on top of Wes’s. “Well, you figure out a place and I’ll come along. Friends or more.” 

Wes slipped his arm around Hobbie's waist. He still didn't entirely understand why Hobbie seemed to like him so much, but he wasn't complaining. "I might just take you up on that," he murmured. "Now all we gotta do is figure out how to make the Imps quit fighting, right?"

Hobbie took a drink of their shared turbofizz. “I’ll write them a strongly worded letter.” 

Wes cackled in delight. That was one reason he lo--liked Hobbie so much. He was funny as hell. Of course, there was also that thing he did with his mouth… Wes stuffed the last of his burger in his mouth and took the turbofizz from Hobbie to wash it down. Then he leaned up and kissed Hobbie's soft, full lips again.

Hobbie touched his forehead to Wes’s. “I like you a lot. We should get to know each other better.” 

Wes blushed furiously. Hobbie liked him. Surely he'd known that, but… hearing it still gave him a fluttering feeling inside and made his cheeks feel hotter than the bright sun could account for. Hobbie was teasing him a little, sure, quoting his own words back to him, but… but Hobbie wanted the same things he wanted. Wes squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed by the rush of feelings, how much he cared for Hobbie. He wanted to spend every day like this, with Hobbie, just cuddling and laughing and teasing each other. Maybe doing more, but… with Hobbie. Hobbie was the important part in all that.

"What a brilliant idea," he joked, hoping he didn't sound as desperately infatuated as he felt. "I can't imagine where you came up with it."

“Heard it somewhere, figured it was a good idea. Thought I’d try it,” Hobbie said lightly, kissing him again. It felt like a promise.

FIN


End file.
